Biking 19,000 km to understand water

He began his sojourn that will cover 28 states and five Union territories. He will be passing through seven ecological zones and 11 national parks. He will cross 15 major rivers and other water bodies.

Expected to cost between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, the journey is aimed at discovering what water means to people across the country. The problems faced by people with respect are different in different parts of the country.

Through his discussions with people, he will try to gain a first-hand view of this range of interactions with water. He will share his experiences through his blog on the India Water Portal.

Everyday he is expected to travel 300 km and stop at a rural or semi-urban place for community interaction.

Prasad said: "I will try to understand what their struggles, hopes and aspirations are with respect to water. What role water plays in their lives? Are people water-literate? Are their ways of managing water sustainable?" He will share stories that he comes across from different parts of the country.

This sharing is expected to increase the sensitivity of people towards water and its needs and hopefully contribute to granting water the importance it is due.

The ride will include a major use of technology. The entire route will be tracked using a GPS receiver. The route will be overlaid on Google maps. People will be able to follow Sharada's trail to an accuracy of 30 feet. He will upload GPS tracks, geotagged blogs, surveys and discussions almost everyday.